haku Participates in DEIA Training Session to Improve Organizational Practices
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In early February, haku took steps to further our commitment to improving our approaches to DEIA through a seminar series led by Shawn Moore, President and Chief Coach of Fundamental Coaching and Consulting and Chief of Staff for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Ross Stores.
“We cannot just be okay with promoting DEIA as a company. We have to be educated about it and champion for it,” said Samary Rodriguez, haku Director of People Experience.
The sessions provided our team with new skillsets to better invest in and execute on our core values. In the workshop we dove into topics like:
- Authentic approaches to DEIA
- Equitable and accessible hiring practices
- Diversity in decision making
- Exploring unconscious bias and microaggressions
- Allyship in the workplace
Software Engineer Mariely De La Cruz said that the training “opened my eyes to how we all come from different backgrounds and go through different experiences. I learned to be more mindful about the language I use and to become a better listener.”
Leadership Takes a Deeper Dive
haku’s leadership team also sat down for an extended time with Moore to dive deeper into core leadership topics. How can our senior leaders can help drive and sustain these ideals within our company culture? How do biases negatively affect hiring and recruitment? Moore effectively illustrated that reassessing some of our practices was necessary and helpful to further live up to our core values.
"We've always been a diverse workplace, but this training is helping us move the needle and become more conscious and purposeful about our core values and DEIA," said Jackie Levi, CSO. "We're becoming more proactive in our approach."
Carrying These Lessons Forward
haku will continue to invest in the platform, service, and culture aspects of DEIA. This important work also empowers our organization and employees to carry these lessons beyond just the office setting, benefitting our partners and events and ensuring we provide inclusive and accessible experiences at every touchpoint. Shawn’s sessions provided valuable knowledge that will help us become more purposeful in every interaction we have within our organization and with our partners, their customers, and their communities.
"We're always looking at ways we can improve our interactions with our partners and their communities, “ said Melissa Andersen, Director of Customer Experience. “It's exciting to be more knowledgable in DEIA to carry this forward in our service and support values."
Looking Back At Progress So Far
In 2021, haku made a commitment to make more conscious and purposeful efforts to improve our approach to DEIA. This commitment is rooted in what we all believe, which is that the products and services we provide must be inclusive and accessible for everyone. And in 2021 we took significant steps to empower our partners to provide more inclusive and accessible experiences through our platform. From offering more gender inclusive options throughout the participant experience to leveling up our adherence to the latest WCAG standards of accessibility, we focused heavily on ensuring our partners can create inclusive and accessible experiences for their communities through our technology.
